My own kith and kin avenged
these evil events, as everybody knows,
- My relatives evidently took revenge in these wicked incidents,
but the price was high: one of them paid
with his life. Haethcyn, lord of the Geats,
met his fate there and fell in the battle.
- but the outcome was dangerous: one had risked his life.
Haethcyn, lord of the Geats, was destined to die in the battle.
Then, as I have heard, Hygelac’s sword
was raised in the morning against Ongentheow,
his brother’s killer.
- Then, Hygelac’s sword was exerted
during the fight against Ongentheow who is his brother’s murderer.
When Eofor cleft
the old Swede’s helmet, halved it open,
he fell, death-pale: his feud-calloused hand
could not stave off the fatal stroke.
- When Eofor cracked the old Swede’s helmet in half,
Ongentheow lifelessly fell: even his violent career
could not prevent the lethal achievement.
“The treasures that Hygelac lavished on me
I paid for when I fought, as fortune allowed me,
with my glittering sword.
- I fortunately repaid the treasures Hygelac had bestowed on me
by fighting with my shining sword.
He gave me land
and the security land brings, so he had no call
to go looking for some lesser champion,
some mercenary from among the Gifthas
or the Spear-Danes or the men of Sweden.
- Hygelac gave me land and security that Heorot offered,
thus he had no appeal to find some indistinct supporter,
some soldier of fortune from the Gifthas
or the Spear-Danes or the men from Sweden.
I marched ahead of him, always there
at the front of the line; and I shall fight like that
for as long as I live, as long as this sword
shall last,
- I was courageous and faithful
and until the end of my life, until this sword breaks,
I will continue to fight in that spirit,
which has stood me in good stead
late and soon, ever since I killed
Dayraven the Frank in front of the two armies.
- Ever since I killed Dayraven the Frank in front of the two armies
it influenced me to be determined.
He brought back no lotted breastplate
to the Frisian king, but fell in battle,
their standard-bearer, high-born and brave.
- He didn’t bring back any broken breastplate
to the Frisian king, but died in battle,
their excellent, worthy, and valiant.
No sword blade sent him to his death,
my bare hands stilled his heartbeats
and wrecked the bone-house.
- It was not my sword that broke his bone-cage,
and the beatings of his heart,
but my warlike hand.
Now blade and hand,
sword and sword-stroke, will assay the hoard.”
Now the blade, the hand, the sword and its strokes
will appraise the treasure.”
Beowulf spoke, made a formal boast
for the last time. “I risked my life
often when I was young.
- Finally, Beowulf self-praised ceremoniously.
“I frequently endangered my life in my youth.
Now I am old,
but as king of the people I shall pursue this fight
for the glory of winning, if the evil one will only
abandon his earth-fort and face me in the open.”
- I am aged at the present,
but for my prestige of being a king I shall take this fight
for the honor of triumph, if the enemy will only
get out of his dwelling and officially challenge me.”
Line 2479-2515
Paraphrase:
My own kith and kin avenged
these evil events, as everybody knows,
- My relatives evidently took revenge in these wicked incidents,
but the price was high: one of them paid
with his life. Haethcyn, lord of the Geats,
met his fate there and fell in the battle.
- but the outcome was dangerous: one had risked his life.
Haethcyn, lord of the Geats, was destined to die in the battle.
Then, as I have heard, Hygelac’s sword
was raised in the morning against Ongentheow,
his brother’s killer.
- Then, Hygelac’s sword was exerted
during the fight against Ongentheow who is his brother’s murderer.
When Eofor cleft
the old Swede’s helmet, halved it open,
he fell, death-pale: his feud-calloused hand
could not stave off the fatal stroke.
- When Eofor cracked the old Swede’s helmet in half,
Ongentheow lifelessly fell: even his violent career
could not prevent the lethal achievement.
“The treasures that Hygelac lavished on me
I paid for when I fought, as fortune allowed me,
with my glittering sword.
- I fortunately repaid the treasures Hygelac had bestowed on me
by fighting with my shining sword.
He gave me land
and the security land brings, so he had no call
to go looking for some lesser champion,
some mercenary from among the Gifthas
or the Spear-Danes or the men of Sweden.
- Hygelac gave me land and security that Heorot offered,
thus he had no appeal to find some indistinct supporter,
some soldier of fortune from the Gifthas
or the Spear-Danes or the men from Sweden.
I marched ahead of him, always there
at the front of the line; and I shall fight like that
for as long as I live, as long as this sword
shall last,
- I was courageous and faithful
and until the end of my life, until this sword breaks,
I will continue to fight in that spirit,
which has stood me in good stead
late and soon, ever since I killed
Dayraven the Frank in front of the two armies.
- Ever since I killed Dayraven the Frank in front of the two armies
it influenced me to be determined.
He brought back no lotted breastplate
to the Frisian king, but fell in battle,
their standard-bearer, high-born and brave.
- He didn’t bring back any broken breastplate
to the Frisian king, but died in battle,
their excellent, worthy, and valiant.
No sword blade sent him to his death,
my bare hands stilled his heartbeats
and wrecked the bone-house.
- It was not my sword that broke his bone-cage,
and the beatings of his heart,
but my warlike hand.
Now blade and hand,
sword and sword-stroke, will assay the hoard.”
Now the blade, the hand, the sword and its strokes
will appraise the treasure.”
Beowulf spoke, made a formal boast
for the last time. “I risked my life
often when I was young.
- Finally, Beowulf self-praised ceremoniously.
“I frequently endangered my life in my youth.
Now I am old,
but as king of the people I shall pursue this fight
for the glory of winning, if the evil one will only
abandon his earth-fort and face me in the open.”
- I am aged at the present,
but for my prestige of being a king I shall take this fight
for the honor of triumph, if the enemy will only
get out of his dwelling and officially challenge me.”